Tuesday, June 08, 2010

This is a good way to start this post because the World Cup is fast approaching. But I was a pretty good football (soccer) player in high school, and I played for a club side in Jamaica that traveled to various rural venues to play different teams. On one such outing we played in a little village called Royal Flat, (Only you true yawdies will know where this is) and as is usually the case at such venues, because many folks have a literal interpretation of Psalms 104:14, the smell of the good collie weed was in the air. No biggie. But then, while glancing around the crowd, I saw one of those images that has stayed with me all my life: There, on the sidelines, was a kid who couldn't gave been more than eight or nine, -dreadlocks flowing- with a big fat spliff hanging from his mouth. And what was just as amazing is that none of the people in the crowd even seemed to notice or care. Still, I guess it's beats smoking a damn cigarette. What is it comedian George Wallace used to say? "The world has gone crazy."

Now fast forward. Here I am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, far removed from those days on the rock. I am chilling with my morning coffee, (Community from Louisiana, it's a Mrs. Field thing) when the reporter leads the morning newswith this. Talk about deja vu. WTF? The Rastafarian kid might have been on some sort of religious mission. I mean some religions baptize their kids at an early age, so I get the whole ritualistic possibilities of what he might have been doing. (Unlike the little rug rat who is just hooked on cigarettes in Indonesia) But a beer at the ball game for a kid who couldn't have been more than ten?

I swear these fans in Philly never cease to embarrass the hell out of me. But field, are you sure it was beer. I mean his mother or father could have put his milk in a beer bottle. Well, yes, I suppose it could. And now, the Phillies, in order to save face, are saying that the little frat boy in training might have been drinking from an empty bottle. (Memo to MLB; removing the video clips from your broadcast won't make it go away.) Yeah, OK, well he was sure enjoying the hell out of that empty bottle.

And look, I know that things aren't always as they might appear. Videos sometimes lie. Have you heard the latest about Obama? Seems folks are claiming he was in a 90's rap video ,aptly named: "Whoomp there it is". I swear you can't make this s*&t up. Although, I must admit, dude does look like his O ness. Oh stop it field, you know they say we all look alike. You of all people should know better. OK, let me stop.

But on a serious note, if that was beer in that little party animal's bottle, his parents got some "splaining" to do. I laughed when I saw the little dread back in the day, but I am older now, and that s@#^ ain't funny no more.

Thank you for the work you have put into this post, it helps clear up some questions I had.I will bookmark your blog because your posts are very informative.We appreciate your posts and look forward to coming back

Heh! I've NEVER met a Jamaican who can claim that they've 'never touched the stuff'! Not that I've met tons of Jamaicans in life, but the few that I have....boy oh boy!!!!!

If our communities were intact then the need for social services might be greatly diminished. I had an Auntie Ines who lived in Holden, Missouri. She was the unofficial town Mother and whenever there was a child in need, they just took 'em to Aunt Ines' house for care and support. She had children of her own but an open door policy towards children in need.

We need more people like that and should put more stock into people than governmental structures.

Unfortunately, in my town, CPS has a very screwy history of taking kids away from their parents when there is no need BUT keeping abused kids with their parents when it's clear they're being abused! Bassackwardness!!!

1. Mexico makes it out of their pool, in second place. That would be the likely slot, if they make past the host nation and Uruguay.

2. The US makes it out of their pool in second place, also highly possible, if not likely. If the US beat England this Saturday, they might even exit the pool in the top spot, which rules out a match with Mexico.

3. Mexico's likely opponent in the round of 16 would be Argentina. Getting into the Quarterfinals becomes difficult, although nothing is impossible. It would be a minor miracle for Mexico to get past the Argentines.

4. The US will most likely meet Germany if they make it to the Round of 16. In order to advance to the Quarterfinals they will need another minor miracle. Who knows, this might be the WC full of such miracles. Or not.

5. Given those conditions, the US could meet Mexico.

The US - England match on Saturday will be the interesting game. The last time the US beat England was in 1950.

The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North America), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania), and UEFA (Europe) — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament. A total of 204 teams entered the qualification competition, with South Africa, as the host, qualifying for the World Cup automatically.

I spent 4 years in Germany and German kids are brought up on beer. Philly has a large population of Germans and that kid looks German. Field, you oughta know it is no big deal to Philly Germans. So why are you making it out to be a big deal?

I bet even some black parents give their 3 to 4 year olds a swig of beer every now and then.

Hmmm.....now if someone had written that a little nigglet = rugrat you would have been pissed and wet yourself. This is a great example that totally shows how "chasing" totalling misinterprets what one may mean.

Heheheh stereotype eh FN? Yeah, it's always interesting when you meet people who conform to stereotypes. There is a Mexican guy who rides a bike with an ice cooler and a bell with a specific ring down the streets around here. He sells shaved ice cream treats in the neighborhood. He wears like a ten gallon hat ranchero looking hat, is always smiling and is dark brown with a pot belly and a handle bar mustache just like a stereotypical picture and it makes me chuckle. He is rather jovial and pleasant too!

As to the topic of this post, when we became parents, me and my husband had no idea that room training could be so difficult! We are trying to get our little son to feel more comfortable in his room, playing with his toys by himself for a stretch, in order to foster independence.

Then, after running around all day and or getting dirty in the garden, we coax him to go to his bed. He cries his eyes out, but goes every time we tell him. The battle ended about a hour ago. He simply was too tired to continue screaming and running out of his room every three or four minutes. The process started at nine thirty and ended just after three AM. Boy oh boy!

I am bushed but blogging to clear my mind from the ordeal. My son can be such a little cuss! But he is the bestest!

Sometimes, we don't realize that the frustrating aspects of toddler behavior are remarkably similar to frustrated adult behavior;) It helps keep perspective.

One cool thing is that he stays still while I cornrow his hair each day. At least we trained him successfully for that;)

[quote]For reporting a burglary at his own home on Monday, a Darby man was shot in the back that night by his gang-member neighbors, police said.

Now, the residents of 3rd Street, which the 3rd Street Boys gang frequents, are speaking out. Within hours of the shooting, police identified the two men believed to be responsible.

(HELL FILLED NEGRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)"The good people on that street are getting tired," Darby Police Chief Robert Smythe said. "People are starting to say, 'To hell with this!' "

About 10:30 p.m., a 32-year-old man and his fiancee were entering their 3rd Street home when two men opened fire on them, hitting the man in the back.

He was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was treated and released, Smythe said. His fiancee was unharmed.

Police believe the couple was shot in retaliation for reporting the earlier burglary to police. One of them was at home at the time and was able to identify a suspect, who is believed to be a member of the 3rd Street Boys, Smythe said.

The suspect was arrested, and later on Monday, other members of the gang threatened the couple at their home, police said.

"At one point, one guy had shells in his hand and said, 'This is for you, later on,' " Smythe said.

(NOTE: HIS THREATS are INFERIOR to the treats of the TEA PARTIES)

Police said the threats came true when Andre Roberts, 21, and Stefan Fenwick, 20, known 3rd Street Boys who live across the street from the victims, fired at the them.

Roberts and Fenwick fled and are now wanted for attempted murder, aggravated assault, drug and gun charges, and related offenses.

The drug and gun violations stem from a search of Roberts and Fenwick's house, Smythe said. Inside, police said, they found drugs, drug-packaging material, cash and two guns.

What up Field? That anon guy is pretty funny. Don't think giving beer to kids is a good idea.

Val, Field- Fisher is getting on my nerves as well. That post game interview worked my nerves. I keep saying to my bball friends that I would make sure that Fisher didn't beat me. You can't really stop Kobe, Gasol is going to get his inside but Fisher and that soft dude whats his name begins with an F I would not allow to beat me.

Oh yeah Field I played and coached youth to High School for a few years. My strategy was always not to let the guys I could stop beat me.

I am struggling with the series however. Historically I haven't liked Boston since they dogged out Bill Russell and because the town was so racist (see Boston school riots opposing intergrated public shcools circa 1970)

But Kobe lost me when he did that silly girl in Denver and then decided to tell on Shaq. The guy typifies the worst in jocks, he seems to have little to no character. I mean who snitches out their friend when they get busted, unnecessarily. I could see if it would have saved his own skin, but he just hated on Shaq, like some little chump.

Field,It has been my experience around the world with kids that age is that they will steal your beer if you turn your back for a second. The real problems start when they try to drive the family car afterwards.

"He, like most other black conservatives, is a modern day house negro who is offended at the notion of blacks challenging and confronting white people."

What you describe is racial nihilism of a sort.

In this case, however, it's not the denial of the the existence of all things, just the denial of the notion that blacks have an importance, value, and standing equal to that of whites, especially if they haven't earned it.

We see an offshoot of that in the movie, A Soldier's Story. Sergeant Walters, played by Adolph Caesar, comes down hard on those blacks he considers inferior, and a burden to the black race, because they don't acquit themselves with the same propriety as whites.

White acceptance becomes the theme: It's not for whites to accept us as we are, we must present ourselves worthy of such an honor by our comportment, by our education, by our appearance, by our fidelity to those values that whites hold near and dear.

In short, if whites aren't accepting us, or finding us acceptable, then it's our fault, and not theirs. We have to show ourselves approved.

And this was the general mindset in this country for years, and it still persists in some black-white interactions, and from some black quarters.

This mindset gave rise to colorism and Tomism.

Another black-white theme was exploited by Richard Wright, and was enshrined in his book, Native Son.

White illumination becomes the theme, and an appeal to white guilt.

Through the character of Bigger Thomas, Wright attempts to show whites the folly of racial oppression.

It was Wright's hope that if whites could only see how damaging it was, how dehumanizing it was, both for blacks and whites, that whites would voluntarily resist their natural predisposition to oppress blacks.

The first theme--white acceptance:

"Street Pirates," as well as a host of other unsavory black characters, chief among them, rappers, are making it hard on the rest of the black community, and giving us all a black eye.

Whites won't accept us as long as this ignorant, inferior, and untutored bunch exists and thrives.

The second theme--white illumination:

Most of the gains that blacks have made politically, socially, and economically, have come as a result of a great struggle.

Nothing was freely given; we had to agitate, march, protest, and yes, "burn baby burn," to lift the booth of oppression from our neck, and to open up more opportunities for blacks in this country.

Wright was well-meaning, but he was naive in his belief that whites would do the right thing by us, once they knew the damage that racism caused, especially to the black psyche.

Mellaneous, despite my joking around with Val and Field earlier, I really don't care how you feel about Fisher, Kobe, or the Lakers.

Really, I don't.

What I found curious about your comment is this remark:

"But Kobe lost me when he did that silly girl in Denver and then decided to tell on Shaq. The guy typifies the worst in jocks, he seems to have little to no character. I mean who snitches out their friend when they get busted, unnecessarily."

Tell me I'm wrong. You seem to give more weight to Kobe ratting out Shaq, than cheating on his wife.

Is "snitching" worse than infidelity?

You suggest that Kobe "snitching" meant he had "little to no character."

If you wish to be angry with Kobe because he cheated on his wife, I can understand that. But Kobe divulging that Shaq sleeps around, well...that one has me scratching my head.

I don't feel Kobe is obliged to keep Shaq's infidelity a secret. It was Shaq's place to be discreet, and not crow about his female conquests.

Shaq breaks his marriage vows, brags about it, but this doesn't "typifies the worst in jocks" and speaks to Shaq's character...it was Kobe's "unnecessary" canarying about his friends indiscretion that has you in a snit.

And if Shaq believed that because of some basketball brotherhood, or because of team cohesion, or some jock code, Kobe should have kept his mouth shut, then he disrespected the brotherhood, and that cohesion by placing this undue burden on Kobe, as well as on other players on the team by forcing them to keep his secret whether they liked being in that position, or wanted to be in that position.

No snitch rules are keeping whole communities captive. What was said in that Baretta theme songs, sang by the musical immortal, Sammy Davis, Jr.:

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

A zinger from Zing:

"Don't tell what you don't want known, if you can't broadcast it at home."

Zing, "I don't feel Kobe is obliged to keep Shaq's infidelity a secret. It was Shaq's place to be discreet, and not crow about his female conquests.

Shaq breaks his marriage vows, brags about it, but this doesn't "typifies the worst in jocks" and speaks to Shaq's character...it was Kobe's "unnecessary" canarying about his friends indiscretion that has you in a snit."

You criticize and judge others very well. Have you ever thought about becoming a minister?

[quote]Anyway, I'm not sure what your point is. Are you outing me? Because if so it's a little late for that. [/quote]

Val:

How did you take an "evil" intent out of my post?

The WORSE possible agenda behind my words?

Did Filled Negro, Hathor or some of the regulars chime in and tell YOU that "I ASKED ABOUT YOU (and a few other former posters) about 4 months ago?".

YOU TOLD US that you were moving in with "your girl" - so how did I "out you"? I made a REFERENCE to you based on what you told us and what I remembered!!

I told you that I liked the pictures of the women on your blog. I could tell that you have a creative spirit.

Must I be "evil" because you have ideological differences with me?

As far as "people not liking me on this blog" - indeed it is a good thing that "being liked" is not one of my main goals. You only need to look at the "beloved" people in our community which cloud our judgment on how to dispose of them so we can move forward.

I challenge you to look at WHO IS LIKED on this blog and in the world of politics in general and figure out how such POPULARITY translates into the advancement of our PERMANENT INTERESTS?

[quote]Btw, You've always seemed like one of those dirty ol' men types. Lol[/quote]

Val:

I am a Scorpio so the "dirty" part is a toss up. :-)

OLD? I am younger than Filled Negro but old enough to know when I am being taken for a ride.

Man - GUILTY!!! 100% Brother man.

You have NEVER seen me exploit YOUR "personal information"!!!

You "tolerated" me on your blog.Back in the day I would read your words on the Filled Negro blog and in my attempt to understand your reasoning I would:

1) Ask you questions on this blog (many of which you did not respond to)

and

2) Go go YOUR blog to read where you are coming from (Hell - I still have the picture of the tatoo on Alicia Keys' back that I stole from your blog!!!!)

Filled Negro and Rikyrah's friend "Christian Progressive Liberal" of AfroSpear fame (or whatever her name is - the CBC Watch girl) was so intolerant about being ASKED QUESTIONS of her IDEOLOGY so much that I'd used to fear having the police kick down my door and arresting me for RAPE - despite the fact that I don't have any idea of how she looks like if I walked past her.

Don't go there Val!!!

With all of the Black men who have been falsely accuse of RAPE by White women - THIS BLACK MAN who is:

* Married to a Black women (Hey Filled Negro - brown stewed chicken tonight. I am living large with this Jamaican mother in law here!!!)

* Has 2 children

* Is a resident father

* Has a good job

* Never been locked up

Can't afford to have someone slander him with salacious as such.

I have NEVER disrespected you as a woman DESPITE my ideological disagreement with you.

ASK UptownSteve if he can say the same in regards to his treatment of Black women who DISAGREE WITH HIM!!!! Make him mad and HE does as you fear that I would do.

[quote]What you describe is racial nihilism of a sort. In this case, however, it's not the denial of the the existence of all things, just the denial of the notion that blacks have an importance, value, and standing equal to that of whites, especially if they haven't earned it.[/quote]

BD:

I am going to respond to every word that you wrote. Please allow me to make a summary statement after having read your words.

YOU DID NOT CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO ME in your comments, using MY examples (aside from Street Pirates - which I will address later).

Let me ask you BD - when I point out that Black Actor-vists get LARYNGITIS when it comes to attacking Black Elected Officials who now hold the seats of power that are "failing them" is THIS greater evidence of your EQUAL IMPORTANCE theory that you attempt to indict ME with?

Its like they WALK PAST those seats and go after the folks with REAL POWER. "Let me speak to the BOSS, not YOU - field hand".

[quote]We see an offshoot of that in the movie, A Soldier's Story. Sergeant Walters, played by Adolph Caesar, comes down hard on those blacks he considers inferior, and a burden to the black race, because they don't acquit themselves with the same propriety as whites.[/quote]

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!

You are talking about my favorite movie now!!

Who was that poster about 3 months ago that suggested that the "Denzel Character" was not my favorite in Soldiers story? Whiz or Kid or whatever his name was.

I told him that he is RIGHT.

Sergeant Walters is my favorite.He came down hard on Denzel because Denzel did not respect his stripes. HE RESPECTED DENZEL!!! He was the strong one, the leader who FOUGHT BACK and would not bow his head to "Massa".

If you go to my "WithintheBlackcommunity" blog you will see the quote: "Who Gave You The Right To Judge? The Right To Decide Who Is Fit To Be A Negro?"

You are correct that Waters went after "Weak Negroes". You are 1000000% WRONG that he did so FOR WHITE FOLKS!!!!

Maria, so you commented anonymously? Very few posters here invert my initials like you. If you reread what I wrote, you'd see that YOU are the one with the problem in reading comprehension. I never insulted you. I DID point out that your self labeling seems inconsistent asked you about calling yourself a 'white' woman.

Since you took offense to that, it is your choice.

Don't think I have a problem with white women at all; I don't. I think YOU have a problem understanding written words that may not conform to your worldview.

My comment was not meant to be malicious so don't take it that way.

I have, however, been intentionally malicious with other posters when they've insulted me. Since you haven't I have no issues with you. I even defended you when someone called you the names of pasta etc because ethnic slurs are not right.

[quote]You have a serious case of jealousy toward CF. He can't be responsible for being twice as smart as you. Take that up with the Creator.[/quote]

Now, now #125.

I like Gregorian Chant.

He is always going to try to get in a sucker punch against me. He tries hard.

No matter what I say, even if it is incontrovertible, Gregorian Chant is going to find some angle to confound me.

If I show a video of a Black man who is shot dead on the street after being assaulted as part of a larger situation that has gotten out of hand - Gregory would accuse me of "disrespecting" the corpse of a Black man - attempting to render him as "road kill". No words about the KILLER though

Follow the The Field Negro via e-mail.

TWEET ME

DISCLAIMER

***The views expressed on this site are the field's and the field's alone. They do not reflect the views of his employer, or any professional or legal organization with which he is affiliated.***

This is a commercial free blog.

Money is nice, but being able to speak my mind is better.

"Real talk: Daniel Rubin has a great little piece up wherein he chats with The Field Negro, the Philly-based blogger who sharply ponders all things black on a daily basis. (Seriously, if you’ve never checked in with TFN, you should: Its author, Wayne Bennett, is a fantastic read who can cut through bullshit like a hot knife through butter, which is a far grosser analogy than I wanted to make, but there you have it.)" ~Philebrity~

"..While most of what he writes is tongue-in-cheek, his space is a safe house for candid discussions about race, especially in the comments section, where people of all colors meet."~~Daniel Rubin, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"~~

"To white people, Bennett's musings are like kitchen-table talk from a kitchen they may otherwise never set foot in. To African Americans, he is part of a growing army of black Internet amateurs who have taken up the work once reserved for ministers and professional activists: the work of setting a black agenda, shaping black opinion and calling attention to the state of the nation's racial affairs."

~~Richard Fausset, "L.A. Times"~~~

"That's why I love the blog "Field Negro" so much. Field, as he's known to his fans, has the sense of reality that it takes to call out the (CowPuckey) of blame beating by those who are in positions of power and their lackeys. Because of his handle and his unabashed way of writing about racial issues, Field is often cited as a "Black blogger." What he is, however, is a first-class detector of blame deflection and an excellent student of history. If you want to write about the past and future of repression there's really no other perspective to take - which is why everyone should read Field."

"Half a century after Little Rock, the Montgomery bus boycott and the tumultuous dawn of the modern civil rights era, the new face of the movement is Facebook, MySpace and some 150 black blogs united in an Internet alliance they call theAfroSpear.

Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslaveand African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online."~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~

"I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together." ~Chicago Tribune Reporter, Howard Witt~